God is a hot piece of twisting metal, knifing through the air at 2000 feet per second. This song is about God and their answer to tyrants. 8.6 Blackout is a bullet, advertised as a premier ‘hunting’ round. It is an apt name for this new track by Deathcore iconoclasts Disembodied Tyrant.
It is a gunshot to the sky in these increasingly dark times, a screaming warning that the world seems to be stumbling down a well-trod path. The track opens with samples of Nixon, until recently regarded as one of the most crooked US presidents saying: “I have never profited from public service” and “I have never obstructed justice.”
Yeah, right. History rhymes, eh?
So, if you had not caught on already, this song takes a few stances. The blast beats impact as soon as the sample ends, a solitary piano melody hanging in the background that perfectly complements the brutality of the rest of the ensemble.
It is a super busy track, something we have come to expect from Disembodied Tyrant. Blake’s vocals are on fucking point as ever. The song does not settle into any steady rhythm or give the listener anything longer than a moment to take a breath before cutting off to another detonating riff. It is like auditory shrapnel.
There are liberal use of effects. The sound of a rifle cocking cuts a breakdown neatly in two at the almost exact halfway point of the track. It could disturb the flow, but it works well here. The guitar solo at around 3:20 is a brilliant melodic palate cleanser. Towards the end, 8.6 Blackout is over-layered with sirens and radio chatter before slowing into a punching breakdown as, in the video, Mussolini does a silly hand gesture we have seen a lot of recently.
The video is a violent and chaotic montage of images from history. The Nuremberg trials, the rise of the 20th century tyrants Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, cut with images of conflict, crime scenes, old cartoons and modern American life.
This is a nihilistic and enraged warning to the modern Western world.
We have been here before; our grandparents know what is coming. Don’t let demagogues, oligarchs or wannabe aristocrats drag us back to tyranny.
All in all, 8.6 Blackout is a stellar Deathcore track. It doesn’t top their previous work, such as Winter or Icarian, but it stands on its merits. I am very much looking forward to what the future holds now that Disembodied Tyrant has just been signed to Nuclear Blast Records!
Appropriate.
“It’s an honour to be joining the Nuclear Blast roster,” Blake says, “alongside some of our all-time favourite bands/artists. Disembodied Tyrant has only ever been supported internally, and to now have an entire team behind us is a dream come true. We’re all very eager for what the future holds.”
Disembodied Tyrant are currently touring around the US. Next stop is Roseville, CA on 3/21.
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Disembodied Tyrant / 8.6 Blackout Fires A Warning Shot first appeared on
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